Journey
by Amythista
Summary: And they've got to keep moving, to make sure they never forget. A collection of drabbles and oneshots about Ed and Al's life post-movie.
1. Travel

Just a little idea I came up with. There's not too much post-CoS-wise, so this will be a collection of drabbles and oneshots about Ed and Al's life post CoS. Hope you enjoy, and please review!

* * *

"Brother?" Al asks in Amestrian as they rattle along the dusty road. Ed starts at the sound of his native language amidst the German chatter, and looks around for a moment until his eyes rest on his younger brother.

"Oh- Al. You startled me." He gives a wry smile. "What is it?"

"Where are we going?"

Ed sighs and leans back. "We'll just...travel, I guess."

"Travel?"

"Yeah. You know, it's what we've always done. We need a way to close that Gate, right?" He smiles again, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes.

Al looks at him with sad eyes, and then drops his gaze to his unfamiliar white shirt, so different from the colorful styles of Amestris. Ed shifts under the questioning stares of the other passengers. He sighs as his younger brother begins to speak, haltingly, as though afraid the words will reach out and choke them if he says them too lightly.

"We- we never did say...goodbye…"

Ed's eyes widen for a moment, and he leans forward so that his golden bangs cover his face. There is silence between the two brothers, only happy murmurs from laughter from the other passengers entering their ears.

"No. We didn't." It's all Ed says for the rest of the journey to the station.


	2. Train

Al is used to trains. He is used to the jostling and vibrations, to the quiet murmur of other passengers, to walking on the moving floors. He's used to the seats, either hard and wooden or soft and red. Up till now, he's even been completely used to the silence of the ride. He's spent these lonely train rides staring out the window, dreaming and hoping and wondering and wishing. He had been chasing five years' worth of memories.

But now he has those memories returned to him, and suddenly the silence is overbearing.

His brother sits across from him, staring forlornly out the window, golden eyes listlessly watching the passing scenery. The silence is only broken by the clacking of the tracks, the mutterings of other passengers, and the occasional train whistle or baby's cry.

"Where are we going?" His voice has been unused for several hours now, and he coughs.

Ed jerks out of his stupor, eyes wide. He reaches forward to catch Al by the shoulders. "Al! Are you alright? Do you need water? Al?"

"Brother-" Al coughs once more. "I'm fine." He regains his regular breathing, then looks at Ed in confusion.

"What happened?" Ed asks him urgently, golden eyes searching his in worry.

"There was just some dust." Al says, giving his brother a strange look. "Why?"

Ed lets out a breath and leans back, letting go of Al's shoulders. "Nothing. Sorry. Did you say something?"

"Yeah. Where are we going? And where are we getting the money from?"

Ed looks back out the window. "Alfons…he...he left his money to me. His money and the apartment. And Dad...I guess he left me some, too. And we got some from selling the apartment, too." He swallows the bitter taste in his mouth that rises with the memory of the man surveying the apartment, asking about previous owners and how many square feet it is, things that Alfons would've known. Things Ed desperately wishes he could ask him about.

If Alfons was still there, they wouldn't have sold the apartment in the first place.

"So…where are we going?"

Ed allows a smile to creep up his face, still bitter from his thoughts. "We're spending the rest of our lives in this world, Al. We might as well see it."


	3. Voice

A/N: I like writing these, and a few people seem to enjoy them, so I'll keep writing. But a review is always appreciated! Also, I looked it up and it says the German word for 'hotel' is the same as it is in English, but if I'm wrong, please tell me. Google translator was used, so again, if I got it wrong, please tell me. Enjoy!

* * *

They step off in a small town on their way to France, walking through the marketplace for food. Edward hears murmurs of war, of Jews, of the mysterious disappearance of Dietlinde Eckhart. He sets his jaw and walks faster, stuffing his hands in his pockets and finding comfort in the subtle _clink _as his right hand clenches around the fabric.

Al walks faster to keep up with his brother, muttering apologies to the people he accidentally runs into while trying to keep up with Ed.

"Brother, wait up!" he says after a few minutes of trailing behind. Ed stops suddenly, looking back at Al and offering an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Al. I was just thinking."

After an hour or so of aimlessly wandering throughout the marketplace, they walk back to the train station to check for the next train to France. Ed studies the listings for a few minutes before letting out a groan. "None till tomorrow. Guess we'll have to find a hotel, then." Al makes a noise of approval and they set back off into town. Ed looks around before spotting a couple making their way down the street.

"Don't say anything, Al." he hisses at his brother as he walks towards them. "You don't speak German well enough yet, and I don't want to take any chances with all the anti-foreigner feelings."

Alphonse nods and follows his brother over to the couple, where Ed begins to speak in a fast-paced jumble of sounds that Al doesn't understand at all. The man nods and responds in kind, his deep rumble of a voice contradictory to his brother's higher, softer tone. The man almost reminds him of Teacher's husband, but he shakes that thought away. He looks much different than Sig Curtis, and besides, the idea that this world's Sig married a woman other than Teacher (for the woman beside him looks nothing like Izumi) makes Al somehow want to cry.

The man looks at Al and says something, the way his voice lifts at the end telling Al that it's a question. Ed looks at him too, smiling gently, then turns to the man and says something else. The woman looks at him pityingly, and Al wonders what his brother has just said about him. Ed says a few more words to the couple, before nodding and turning away, gesturing to Al and saying something in German that Al takes to mean 'come on,' so he nods and follows his older brother.

After the couple is well out of sight, Al starts to say something, but Ed sends him a pleading look and he closes his mouth, confusion swirling in his mind. Ed leads him to a small building marked 'HOTEL,'-_that must've been what Brother was asking that couple about- _which confuses Al for a moment, until he remembers that some words are common between their two languages.

Inside, the lobby is slightly dusty and worn, but otherwise in good shape. A tinkling bell escorts them in as the man behind the desk looks up and says something to them. Ed nods and the two begin to talk in the unfamiliar language.

Al muses, while the two talk, over voices. He had never really thought about his brother's voice before, choosing to concentrate more on his words rather than the voice itself. But he cannot understand Ed's words for the time being, so he drinks in his voice.

"_Nur eine nacht, bitte."_

It's different from other voices Al hears around him, usually either rough or smooth, or light or heavy. Ed's voice somehow manages to be all of these, complete opposites of one another, yet blending together to create something uniquely…Ed. Worn yet soft, light and speaking of something heavier. Ed's is a voice that speaks of hardship, but one that is determined to right whatever wrongs have occurred, no matter if they're his or someone else's.

Just like Edward himself.

"_Nein, nur zwei."_

The man's voice is smooth and open, the perfect voice for a salesman, Al thinks. And the two women coming down from the staircase now, one's voice light and airy, the other's deeper, yet sounding completely cheerful, even though the look on her face says otherwise.

"_Fein, fein."_

He's never thought of voices like this before, contemplating on the voices itself. He closes his eyes, content just to listen to the different voices around him, not really concentrating until the voice he was contemplating only moments ago snaps him out of it.

"Alphonse! _Wir verlassen!"_

Al looks at his brother, who stares at him with imploring gold eyes. Al nods slowly, following his brother to the worn, wooden staircase. He glances back at the manager, who waves and says something in German, smiling encouragingly. Al waves back and follows Edward up to their room for the night.


	4. Alias

Their room is dusty and small, its furniture consisting of two thin beds, a bedside table, a mirror, and a small wardrobe. Al has no doubt in his mind that Ed had stubbornly haggled the price enough so that they got it for next-to nothing.

"Not that it's worth much in the first place," Ed mumbles aloud, kicking a bed leg lightly and proving Al's theory.

"Brother?" he asks, sitting gingerly on the edge of the other bed as Ed pulls out his suitcase to hunt for something to wear for the night. "What did you tell those people about me?"

"Hm?" Ed pauses in his rummaging, turning to look at his brother. "What do you mean, Al?"

"You told them something…and you told me to be quiet." Al says, slipping off his shoes and lying back on the bed. "What did you say?"

"Oh, yeah," Ed says, closing his suitcase and throwing some clothes onto the bed. "Our cover is that you're mute. It's the only scenario I could come up with." He sends an apologetic look to his brother.

"It's fine." Al reassures. "I wouldn't have been able to say anything in German, anyhow." Ed nods and cracks a grin, before yawning hugely and grabbing his clothes. "I'm gonna change."

"Kay," Al responds, averting his eyes to the small window, and then to the mirror across from him. He studies his reflection for a few minutes. Everything seems darker in this world, somehow. He's positive his eyes were lighter in Amestris…and his brother's hair used to shine so brightly in the sun, reflecting the light and making his hair look even more like gold. The sun here seems to add a gray quality to his hair, making him seem much older then he is.

"So," Ed says from the other side of the room, interrupting Al's thoughts. "We need to think of aliases."

Al looks over at his brother, confused with him for the umpteenth time since arriving in Germany.

"Why?"

"What if we meet someone who knows the name 'Elric'? There are probably some people from the Thule society who want us dead, Al." He shoots Al a wry grin. "Hence the point of aliases."

"Oh…okay." He thinks for a while. "Just while we're in Germany, right?"

"Sure."

Al thinks for a moment, then begins to laugh. Ed smiles slightly at the sight of his brother laugjing. "What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking," Al responds, sitting up and grinning outright. "I think our names should be Russell and Fletcher Tringham."

Ed stares at him in confusion for a beat, then begins to laugh, too. "I remember them, now! Damn, how fitting would that be?"

Al joins his brother in laughter, and the two laugh for the first time in weeks together. And, just for old times' sake, Al throws in a line to test his brother's maturity.

"You'll get to pose as a tall person, brother!"

"SHUT UP, AL! I'VE GROWN, DAMMIT!"

_And he's the same as ever, even here._


End file.
